Excavating apparatus.



BEST AVMLABLE CGV PATBNTB--UG. 16, 2904.

C. Wl. ROUE..

.XCVATING APPARATUS.

JTIOH FLSD 3101.16, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

scsi mime-mete con UNITED ASTATES CHARLES ll. ROOD, OF BRITT, l()`\V.- Mlist-J COMPANY, OF BRlli`, lOil'A,

EXCAVATING. Assn mii` SIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,765, dated'Auguat 15.6, 11994. Application filed January 16, 1904. Serial No, 189,351. No model.)

To affirm-7mm it may concern:

Be it known that l. CHARLES Vif. Roon, a

citizen of the United States.l residing at Britt. l

count)v of Hancock, State of Iowa, have invvented a certain new and useful ,improvement in Excavating Apparatus; and l declarethe following 'to be a full, clear, and exact description oi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the saine. reference being had i to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specilication.

My'invention relates in general to excavating apparatus, and more particularly to machines for digging ditches for irrigating and drainage purposes. y

Although it is desirable that a drainage -or irrigating ditch should be uniform in depth and have a constant degree of slope, vet itis customary in the operation of apparatus for cuttingr ditches for the depth and slope ot' the ditch to depend upon the. skill ot' the operator and not upon a lixed gage. Consequently it is practically impossible to give the ditch as it progresses a uniforml depth and slope.

My invention has 'for its primariv object the production of an apparatus t'or cutting' scribed which will be comparatively simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture,` and elicient in operation` porting-frame for moving said shovel' trans- 50 f the apparatus in operative position with relai l i i i i i My invention, generali)Y described, consists f in a supporting-frame adapted to rest-upon the ground at either side the ditch, a transverse guide vertically adpistablv supported upon the frame and conforming to the dc.- sired cross-section ot'` the ditch, a shovel engaging said guide to remove the earth to forni a ditch, and means mounted upon the suption to aditch which is being cut; Fig` 2, a

plan View;` Fig. y3, an enlarged sectional view 6o of the means for adjusting the grade of the cut; and Figs. 4 and 5, enlarged detail views,

the latterbeing a sectional view on line 5 5 of the former.

The same' reference characters are used to 65 designate the saine parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A' andn2 indicate timbers which are placed upon the ground at either side of the ditch and which serve astracks upon which rests 70 the supporting-frame of the-apparatus.

B' and BL indicate longitudinal sills of a supporting-framework, which rest upon the timbers A' and A2. Any desired numberfof transverse sills are mounted upon andrigidly 'se- 7 5,'

cured to the longitudinal sills B'and B2. Extending upwardly in an inclined direction from the transverse sills r' and f2` from points adjacent to the longitudinal sills B' are'beains 3 and B3, .which support at their upper ends a 8o beam B. Beams I4* and B4 extend upwardly from the'transverse sills bf and L2 at points above the longitudinal sill B2A and are united at their upper ends to the inclined beams b3 B, ad jacent to the top beam B. Posts -C' and 85 C" are mountedvupon the side sill B at points above the ends of the transverse sills and '.lhe tops of the posts C and (fare uni-ted by a cross-beam C." Vertical screw-threaded shafts 1)' and D? loosely extend through the 90 bearings formed in the cross-beam C, adjacent to the posts C' and Ci, and engage bearings r' and c at thcirlower ends. supported upon the postst" and respectively, near theirlower ends. The upper ends ot' the shafts D' and D? 95 are provided with levers d' and 1.1;' Jfor rotating the same. A bnr l) extends between the shafts l' and ll and is provided with screwpractical torni` and in beams in' 2 reirse' tnrora i wnszteensis. which the axle lfis' an I-befam ll'. Anjwsuitalile are lf-ing'anrd h3" s on tue supporting means' may be provided for unitsl nts. ...Menon ingr the -beain to theaxle-%such. forinstance,

inirullel -laeznns ported by the har f". annealing t 'wir .Y 1' means-,er 'sl- Y 'eend the her il. il f-line upwardlyand e send-to one side oi the .suliign'n'tingtrarnerrori; of the ap'- i'ieratus. The upper ends of the y beams are bifurcated and separated veri-if: shown in Fig. l. The outerends of the ffbeains E and Eiern supported by struts e and E. ,ex-

tending to the inclined 'beams s end il, ref;`

see-ctily,` to which they are secured at points adjacent to their upper-ends. f

.'lo the. lower ends of the .,'Ifbeams E'and are pivotallysecured parallelfohannelbeams n and F2, the` latter comprising hori 4'/.ontal lower portions and upward ly' and .o'utwardly inclined fendt, portions. f.; 'TheQ ends* of each o f the channel-beams'are united-.byferossi F, between which .andlvariouspoints of tite channel-beams'extend 'streugtheiling str'at's j", f", andfg. 1 The free` ends of thel -emnnellbeams are united-by a rod F3.; to which :Totally Connected the-'lower end ofa rie* onjclutch mounted nponthe beamQB. suitabi-e i'orzn of -oluthmaybe employed l. Ml

posed between the plate P2 andthebar 119, the tension-.of such spring tending to grip the two parts ofthe clutch together,v owing to the rods p'hnd gf, which 'aro connected at their lower endsto bearings upon the plate Pf and which extend at their upper'ends through the bar p.' The tension of the spring Piney-be regulated by nuts located 'upon 'the sel-ev:-

threaded ends of the rods 7;' and pi which project througli the bar p. A lever Q is rigidly conneeted to one of the links q' of the 'toggleand is provided with holesvq at its ends,

bynleans ofwhieh an operating-rod f is' secured to the lever Q. The'lower end of the rod is p'ivotaily connected. to a tread'lo R, suitably mounted upon the supl'iorting-frarnework of the apparatus.

The in ward Igp-projecting flanges of the channel-bea me F and Fi serre as tracks to support trolley, from fw h ich depend ashovel or bucket H for removing th'eeartli to fornrthediteh.

Referring partieularly to' Fig. 3, K' designates an axle of one ofthe trolleys, on the ends of which are fixed Wheels la' 1'. Supported by4 Whieh extends upwardlyand Whioh iS-sup-` )orteil betweentn'e two partsO'A and ,O2 of'a "or gripgisng the rod O, and'tberebysupport I eesrAvAiL/iete nonL es the staples 71. gsm-rounding the miley adjacent to the wheels on the ends thereof und.

passing through openings in the flanges of the l-beam. The ends of the staples which ex- Vthe -beam are. provided with nuts or other retaining devices. Tnioor more trolleys and I-beamsare preferably provided 'to support the shovel, as indicated in Fig. l, the upper wall of theshorel being rigidly secured tothe 'bottomlianges of thezI-,beams by-bolts or #other suitable'ffas'teningdevices, as indicated inf -Fig..3 f-The shovel.v H is formed open ait its front' endvand-closedlat its top, bottom, 4"backg and'at both" sides." The inwardly-pro- *jeetingllanges of the IV-beainsE' and li]2 form la' jcontin uationffofff the i n wardlyfl pro ject-i ng' L passesaround. such guide-roller-'and thence around11'anotherl 'guidefroller A'11,' supported near thetop' beam'o f the; supporting-frame# y worin-*The ea bleiL then lpasses to a drum YL', Aaround which it'iswoundf. VAnysuitable motive powermay be provided for rotatingthe drum L'-such, for instance, as a boilerlN, mounted .upon aplatorm b2' supported by the sidejsillsB' and 'Blof the framework. The shovel 'or dipper His propelled backwardly arross 1 thefditelilr ineens of i i cable )L seeuredto thereau'endV thereof and passing around a'guideepulleywjournaled upon the rod F1, which is supported at its opposite ends by the ends of thechannellbeams.` The @able ported opposite to the top beam B, and then passesto adrum M'` upon lWhielrit is wound. The saine motive i power which operates the drum L' may be' utilizedfr operating the drum M'.. y y The operation of my invention is as follows: .T he side sills B' and B2 are placed' upon the longitudinal supporting-beams A' and A, grease being preferably interposedbetween the same` so as 'to facilitate the supporting- 'frame being drawn longitudinally above the ditch es the work progresses. The channelbeams Il" and F2 serve asguides to determine tend through, the'openings'in. the lianges et',

.the I-beamsfE' and E''rli'The propelliglcable M then passes arounda" guide-pulley r11-2, sup.

' drawn transversely cross ICO.

IIC

the depth et the cui or ditch and also thc i ulating' the clutch, which engagesthe rod O. as the successive transverse movements ot' the shovel deepen'the ditch. The guide for the shove-l,- which comprises the-.channel-beams and transverse beams F, uniting their ends together with the st lengthening-stru ts', is swung upwardly into the position shown in dotted linesinvorder to elevate the same above the surface ot' the ground and permit the apparatus to be located'in position to commence cuting the ditch. The guide is swung into such position by means of the cable M, which when wound upon its drum M' draws the shovel H to the ends of the'channel-beams and then swings upwardly-the guide about the'points of pivot-al connections between the channelbeams and the I-beams. In order to permit lsuch upward swinging movement ofthe guide, the treadle R is pressed down, thereby extending the toggles q' and q2 int-o the positions shown in Figs. i and 5,*which compresses the spring Pand permits the rod Oto pass freely between the two parts .of the clutch. The treadle `R when released permits the spring P to force the two parts of the. clutch into tight engagement with-l the rod O, and thereby securely support the end of the guide. The 'cutting' of the ditch is accomplished by the cable L being wound upon the drum L' through suitable motive power which draws the shovel transversely across the proposed ditch and fills the same with earth. which is dumped from the shovel when the latter is inclined by the bifurcated ends ot` the I-beams. As the earth is removed the guide is gradually lowered by releasing the clutch by means of the treadle, so that the position of the guide above the earth is such as to force the shovel beneath the earths surface at each transverse movement thereof.V lVhen the guide has been gradually lowered until the free end thereot` occupies a position corresponding to its pivotal support, 'the ditch has been cut at such point to the requi- 'site depth, and the guide-frame is then swung' upwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig'. l and the supporting-framework moved aiongthe ditch, so that the path ot' movement ot' the shovel will be above the earth which is to be removed to form a con- Jurination ot' the ditch.

nest warmste coey From the foregoing description it. will he.

observed that i have inve'xtr-d an inmroved excavating apparatus especially dt hert tor digging' ditches ortrenchcs in wi'aich the sutting shovel or dipper is moved transversely and is forced below the earths surnm.. by means of a transverse guide which may he `:id iustml verticallyv to determine the. depth to be given the dit-ch and which is of a shape to impartto the ditch the desired degree ot' siepe, so that the ditch will be dug to a uniform depth and with a uniform degree ot' slope.

While I havedescribed more or less pre.- cisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in t'orm, the proportion. of parts, vand the substitution ot' equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention. Y

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V A 1.A Inan apparatus for digging ditches, the combination with `a supporting-frame, of. a shovel for removing the earth, means tor moving said shovel transversely across the ditch and means for directing the movement of said shovel to al point above the spoil-pile.

2. In an apparatus for digging ditches, the combination with a supporting-frame, ot a shovel for removing earth, means for'moving said shovel transversely across the ditch, means for'guidmg said .shovel in a path of movement conforming to the desired cross-section ofthe ditch and means for directing the movement of said shovel to a' point above the spoilpile.`

3. In an apparatus for digging ditches, the combination with 'a supporting-frame, of a transverse guide conforming to the cross-section of the pro posed ditch, means for supporting said guide upon said frame, a shovel engaging said guide, means for moving said A shovel transversely with respect to the ditch combination with a supporting-frame,of a

transversely'-swinging guide pivotally supported at one end, means for adjustably supporting the free end of said guide, a. shovel engaging said guide, and means for moving said shovel transversely with respect to the ditch.

BEST AvALABLE COP" oombinatioll with a. supporting-frame, of :L f

tra:15ml-Rely-swingirig guido pivoiallf; sup

iustiug 'me piX-'oted end yiai i guide; n 'o foricaiiy adjusting Lilo 'free lomi of said guidon shovel QDgagUgSaid guideJ md moans iov moving. smd shovel transvereiy across the# *z'gf ouch. l l. In an apparatus for dlgging ditches, the, combination wlth a supporting-frame, of a.

across'tho dith.

'with respect; tothedibch" l0; In in excafamng binatio'n with atSupporti@C verselguide conforming Lo of 'Lilo cuil, means for supportijig im i upon said fram()` ashov l C fin ad g:1 io.

a track secured bonne of and *forming a.

avaiiing appmm-uS, tino coin- -zmsmounfed'upo thefsuppoi-tingmm engg verse guide Conforming no the cross-section ing said rod toreltain the Sain@ in"aid'jilste'dpoA sxtlons', a, gboyel hgagigfgldgmd anti means 'for movm lio'vel- 8- 1mappmwsfrdigging ihesmhe ,Combination witha s upportlfii'ggirfrlf'ries 'a titans'a wisely-swingingguidpivojaliyuppotedaf; one end, means fforfyortical lyj-'a'djin ing-. fth'of pivoted end of said.guid,v i

saidA supportin'gframe, r'nans' for drawing* said cable transversely across' sald dltch. to-

ward the. frcs e'nd of saidlguidewhereby'when traf;

k; and-'menig for prog ing said hovei. Inail apparatus for digging dit-cima the maitioxif'jvitb 'a' sugmorti 1g-f vu me. o" a tram ferso guide con forni cross-scucontinua-tied of salici guide for directing the. i

l fof sfid-'guide for dire-ding; the f5 icl 

